Sunday, April 24, 2011

What to do with those "cloth diapers" you never opened.

Maybe I'm not the only one that this has happened to:
You're expecting, and you tell your family and friends that you plan to cloth diaper. You might even mention it on the baby shower invitations. You're looking forward to being showered with fluff and then gift day arrives and there they are: those big unholy packs of little Gerber prefold "cloth diapers" from our clueless, yet well-meaning loved ones. You thank them and pretend that's exactly what you meant when you said "cloth diapers", and then store them in the closet or a drawer where they'll sit... Or perhaps you use them as burp cloths like many people do.
Have you ever wondered how else you can make use of those big white rectangles that Gerber dares to call "cloth diapers"? Here are some ideas:

AN ECONOMICAL/WORRY-FREE NEWBORN DIAPER:

(NunuBaby, hours after birth, wearing an organic unbleached Gerber prefold)
One plus to those Gerber prefolds is that they are Very cheap, and quite small, which actually does make them useful for cloth diapering--if you plan to use them on your newborn.
I actually brought some of the Organic cotton Gerber prefolds to the hospital for a few reasons:
--I was worried about meconium stains on my more expensive cloth diapers. If one of the Gerber ones were to get ruined, no big deal, right?
--If they were to get misplaced at the hospital (I'm notorious for leaving something behind at the hospital every time) then it wouldn't break my heart.
--They're thin, not bulky like other cloth diapers, which accomodates newborn clothing and the frequent diaper changes newborns require.

FOR SHORT TERM/LAUNDRY DAY DIAPER USE:

At our house, the Gerber prefolds are only used as actual diapers on Laundry day, or for a short-term diaper change (like when he really needs a change, but I know that he's going to take a bath in a few minutes...or when I can sense he's about to poop, sometimes I'll put a Gerber on him to avoid staining his nice diapers).
Here's the easy method that I use for folding a Gerber prefold:

1. Lay prefold flat on changing surface.

2. If you would like extra absorbency, add another prefold (folded into thirds) and lay in center.

3. Fold the sides over toward each other, and then fold the top 'wings' away from each other.

4. Place baby down on diaper and lift the front to cover baby like so.

5. Spread the front around to baby's side﻿

6. Pull the wings to the front of the diaper

7. Fasten with a snappi. (OR if you're really brave, you can try diaper-safe pins.)

8. In most cases, you'll want to use a diaper cover to prevent leaks. Pictured above is a Diaperaps organic hemp blend diaper cover.

FOR USE AS GDIAPER INSERTS

Ever heard of gDiapers? They are the ADORABLE hybrid diapering system that allows you to choose between cloth or flushable inserts. Well, I've used both and I can tell you, they get quite expensive! Just one pack of 6 gCloth inserts will run you about $30. You can expect to spend hundreds on a stash. How about, instead, paying just $10 for 12 Gerber prefolds that you can easily use as gDiaper inserts? (That's right, thats just a third of the price, for twice as many!) You can build enough of a stash to space out laundry days for only $20 (or for free if you acquired some at your baby shower)!

Here's how to use them as gDiaper inserts:

1. Just fold a Gerber prefold into thirds (add a second one into the center for extra absorbency if desired)

2. Stick it in the gDiaper liner and go!

See how well it works! And to be perfectly honest, I've had more success using Gerber prefolds inside of my gDiapers than I ever did using the actual gCloth inserts. To this day, I sold all of my gCloths and now only use the Gerber prefolds as inserts.

FOR USE IN POCKET DIAPERS

Gerber prefolds are the perfect size to be added into pocket diapers for use as inserts or additional absorbency over regular inserts. Just fold them up, and stick them in!

STILL WANT TO USE THEM AS BURP CLOTHS?
We do! And here's what we did to tell the difference between our Gerber BURP cloths and cloth DIAPERS...

We tie-dyed them! Of course, you can be as creative as you like: Embroider them, dye them, sew ribbon or patterned material on them...but I would definintely advise seperating the ones you use on your baby's face/mouth from the ones you use on your baby's bottom! =)

AND WHEN THEY GET OLD AND TATTERED...
Think Green and REUSE them! They make a perfect cleaning cloth for around the house! Just TRY to find a better cloth to dust your furniture or wipe your windows with!

So if you ever receive a gift of Gerber "cloth diapers", you can now think of them as so much more than just burp cloths, but a multi-functional cloth diapering treat!

2 comments:

I have, literally, 3 dozen from moms throwing them into boxes of used diapers I've purchased online. I trifold them and turn them into doublers, sew a couple together that have been trifolded and use them to stuff pockets, etc. The possibilities are endless!

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About Me

We are not your everyday family, but we love it that way! I'm a stay-at-home crunchy mama of 4 little flower children: Tutu-Head and Bubu-Man are my little love children from previous relationships, Nunu-Baby (aka "Nuni") is made from my husband and I, as well as our special little water-baby "Gummy Bears". We have quite a crazy life at times but at the end of the day, we have each other and our love and thats all we need, right?